Swimlane Process — Reladraw template

退款审批流程. Copy the source, paste into the official playground, done. No coordinates — every position is stated relative to something else.

Preview

Request Support Finance Manager Refund issued approve < $100 >= $100

Source (.reladraw)

node req "Request"
node cs "Support"  below req
node fin "Finance"  below-left of cs
node mgr "Manager"  below-right of cs
node done "Refund issued"  below cs
edge req -> cs
edge cs -> fin  "approve < $100"
edge cs -> mgr  ">= $100"
edge fin -> done  from: bottom
edge mgr -> done  from: bottom

How to use

  1. Open the Reladraw playground
  2. Paste the source above — the diagram re-solves live
  3. Export SVG from the playground, or render locally: npx reladraw swimlane.reladraw -o out.svg

When to use this template

A refund-approval flow across three actors: support triages, finance approves under $100, manager handles the rest, both converge on the issued refund. Use it for SOP docs and compliance reviews — the value is making who decides what undeniable.

How to customize

  1. Raise the approval threshold. Edit the labels: edge cs -> fin "approve < $500" and edge cs -> mgr ">= $500".
  2. Add a rejection path. Add node no "Rejected" right of done and edge fin -> no "denied".
  3. Add a customer-notification step. Insert node email "Email customer" below done with edge done -> email.

FAQ

Does Reladraw support swimlane diagrams?

There is no native lane primitive, but the pattern works: one node per actor-step, each step placed under its actor’s column, edges crossing columns where hand-offs happen. This refund template is the standard example.

How do I make hand-offs between teams obvious?

Let edges cross the column boundaries — that crossing line is the hand-off. Label each crossing with what transfers (approve, escalate) and the reading order becomes obvious.

How is this different from a plain flowchart?

A swimlane assigns every step an owner; a flowchart only shows order. For any process where politics or accountability matters — refunds, approvals, incident response — keep the lanes.

Related templates

Customer Journey MapSupport EscalationOrder Fulfillment